Garment



A rii 12, 1960 D. CARROLL GARMENT Filed July 14, 1958 INVENTOR. DAMa/V CARROLL BY 6 ATw/P/VEYS GARMENT Damon Carroll, Cleveland, Ohio.

Application July 14, 1958, Serial No. 748,327

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-88) The present invention relates to wearing apparel such as a garment, coat, integument, and the like.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a new and novel garment having a window therein to permit a person to see through the garment from the outside in order to carry out certain tasks such as reading and sorting mail by a postman or mailman during the delivery of the mail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window in a water repelling outer garment having a flexible transparent material filling the window and secured in the same for permitting a person to see through the window from the outside thereof and yet capable of repelling water.

A further object of the invention is to provide a water repelling rain cape having a transparent water repelling window therein so formed as to permit a maximum transmission of light therethrough so as to sufficiently illuminate the inside of the rain cape as to permit a wearer to read literature disposed therebeneath.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a novel rain cape as set forth in the preceding object wherein the water repelling transparent window is shaped in such a manner as to generally follow the contour of a bent arm wherein the forearmextends toward the mid-section of the wearer and the upper and lower edges of the window extend across the body of the person toward the other side thereof and terminates in asubstantially vertical edge on the other side of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rain cape as set forth in the preceding object wherein a security flap forms the edge of the rain cape adjacent the vertical side of the window and is adapted to extend over an adjacent end portion of the rain cape so as to maintain and assure the dry comfort of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rain cape as set forth in the preceding object having an arm strap attached to the portion of the rain cape immediately below the lower edge of the window and adapted to be held by or to pass over the forearm of the wearer which is normally disposed adjacent the lower edge of the window so as to prevent the cape from becoming disarranged relative to the wearer and protect the wearer from the rain and/ or other physical, chemical, or atmospheric elements.

The invention further resides in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it per: tains from the following description of the present pro ferred embodiment thereof described with reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and wherein the same reference characters repre sent corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

, Fig. 1 is a pictorial front elevational view of a user wearing a preferred embodiment of the invention and showing the shape of the window in detail; and

2,932,034 Patented Apr. 12, 196i} Fig. 2 is an approximate front elevational view of the invention hanging or draped in a normal fashion when not in use.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangements of parts shown in the drawings and hereinafter described in detail, but is capable of being otherwise embodied and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is to be further understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and there is no intention to herein limit the invention beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring to Fig. 1, the invention is shown preferably embodied in a rain cape 10 comprising a water repellent window 11, an arm or hanger strap 12, hand strap 13 and a collar strap 14, the rain cape being draped in a generally conventional manner about the shoulders and upper body portion of a person such as a postman, the postman being shown in hidden lines.

It is to be understood that although the preferred form of the invention is shown as a rain cape the invention can be embodied in a rain coat or other outer wearing apparel, integrument, vestment, garment or the like used to protect a person from chemical, physical, or atmospheric elements such as rain, dust, snow, cold, etc.

More particularly, the rain cape 10 is comprised of a neck band 15 adapted to extend around the back of a person s neck. The band 15 is secured to the folddown collar 16 which is fashioned to extend entirely around a persons neck and be fastened beneath the chin by means of a snap fastener assembly 17 at the end of the collar strap 14. It is to be understood that other conventional fasteners may be used if desired.

In addition, the cape is comprised of a back portion 18 with a right front portion 19 and a left front portion 20 respectively secured thereto along upwardly extending forward edges or seams 21, 22 thereof with the seams running from the neck portion above the collar bone on either side of the wearer and downwardly along the wearers arms to a lower hem 23. Preferably, the back portion 18 is formed in two parts with a parting line or seam 24 running from the back of the neck downwardly substantially along the vertebrae of the wearer to the lower hem 23. The right front portion 19 of the rain cape 10 is formed with a vertically extending seam or edge 25 forming the right flap of the cape. The seam 25 extends from the center of the throat vertically downwardly.

The left front portion 20 of the cape 10 is formed with the window 11 therein having a substantially vertical side 26 disposed just to the right'side of the center of the wearers body and having a lower side 27 extending transversely across the wearers body substantially with the horizontal and extending obliquely or inclined upwardly at a substantially 45 angle to form a side 28'.

The window is further formed with an upper side 2? which is generally bowed but is more particularly comprised of an upwardly curved segment 29a extending up- Wardly from the obliquely extending or inclined side 28 across the chest to the wearers right and terminating in a horizontally extending rectilinear segment, 2% passing immediately below the collar piece 16 astillustrated in Fig. l. The segment 29a of the upper side 29 of the window is adapted to follow the contour of the wearers arm between the shoulder and elbow and the obliquely extending side 28 is adapted to extend along the forearm of the wearer between the elbow and the wrist. It it apparentthat the outer or lateral sides of the window 11 tend to follow the contour of the bent left arm of the wearer. r p j I Preferably, a flexible transparent water repelling plastic panel 30 is secured within the window frame in a' con venti'o'nal manner preferably by sewing. However, it is to be understood that the transparent panel can be secured by other conventional means and sealed in a known manner against chemical, physical, or atmospheric elements.

A security overfiap 31 is secured to the left-hand por- 'tion of the cape by sewing and forming a vertically extending seam 32. The purpose of the security flap 31, which is substantially rectangular and elongated in a vertical direction, is to protect the wearer against the entry of rain and/or other atmospheric elements when carrying a load such as a bag under the cape 10.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of the inside hanger strap 12 having a loop 12a adapted to be held with the hand or to slide over the left forearm of the wearer. A hanger portion 12b of the strap'12 is connected to the inside left front portion of the rain cape 'just beneath the lower edge of'the window frame in'a conventional manner as by stitching, for example.

The ends of the hand strap 13 are stitched to the inside of the right front portion of the cape so as to extend substantially perpendicularly to the vertical edge '25 of the right front portion and providing a hand hold for the wearer.

The two front flap portions 19 and 20 of the cape 10 can be fastened together near the medial portion thereof by buttoning the left front portion 19 to the right front portion 20, Fig. 1. This is accomplished by inserting a button 34 on the inside of the security flap 31 through a buttonhole 35 in the right front portion 19. The button 34 is placed on the inside of the security flap 31 so that it can be easily reached by the wearer of the cape. A second button 36 is secured to theoutside of the right front cape portion 19 near the collar 16 for being inserted in a buttonhole 37 formed in the Upper corner of the security flap 31.

Buttonhole 35 and button 36 are approximately equall y spaced from the vertical edge 25 of the right front cape portion 19. Also, the button 34 and the buttonhole 37fare approximately equally spaced from the vertical edge of the security flap 31.

The security overfiap 31 and the right front cape portion 19 are buttoned together during inclement weather when in use by a mailman and the mailmans right hand normally grasps the hand strap 13. However, when it is desired to raise the right arm for the purpose, for example, of placing mail in a mailbox, the persons arm 'is slipped through the loop formed by the strap 13 with the cape portion 19 and beneath the lower hem 23 of the cape 10 and the cape is then raised with the persons arm. The cape portions 19 and 20 are prevented from separating by the buttoning arrangement and the body portion beneath the cape is protected from stray raindrops because of the buttoning arrangement and the security flap which is not found on ordinary rain capes.

One of the important features of the invention is to provide a protective apparel, integument, or outer garment which protects the wearer from the elements as above indicated, yet permits the wearer to handle literature or other matter upon which writing appears, such as mail, beneath the garment without exposing the written material to the elements. I

More particularly, the rain cape is especially suitable for mailmen during inclement weatherso that the mailman can handle the mail beneath the cape and at the same time view the handling of the mail and read the written or printed matter thereon so as to carry out the duties of a mailman.

It is to be understood, that the present invention is not to be limited to a cape nor limited in its use to that group of people classified as postmen ormailmen since 'the invention can be embodied in other garments usedby people other than postman or mailman. For example, the invention is useful to other delivery or service tnen, people engaged in chemical warfare, fir'e 'fighting;"e'tc.

Another important feature of the invention is that the rain cape can be worn over an ordinary rain coat and other apparel just for keeping mail or other goods in a dry condition and the rain cape is sufficiently roomy underneath to accommodate a mail bag or other goodscarrying bag and protect the same from the atmospheric elements. A mailbag 38 equipped with a shoulder strap 39 is shown in hidden outline in Fig. 1 in order to illustrate this important feature but it is to be understood that this is only for purposes of illustration and not of limitation.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment in accordance with my invention, it is understood that the same is susceptible of many changes and modifications, as known to a person skilled in the art, and I intend to cover all such changes and modifications coming Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A garment adapted to be Worn over a persons shoulders comprising a flexible substantially water repellent cape having front portions and a back portion, said front portions being joined to said back portion by seams adapted to lie along the top of a wearers shoulders, a flap secured along a vertical seam to one of said front portions, said front portions being enabled by said flap to be releasably secured together along vertical adjacent edges thereof, a collar on said cape and having strap means for securing together the ends thereof, one of said front portions having a window therein, said window being defined in part by a vertical side edge substantially coincident 'with the edge of said one front portion and by an upper edge having a generally horizontal portion extending across said one of said front portions, said window extending vertically between the shoulder and elbow covering portion of said cape, said window extending substantially entirely across said one front portion and being further defined by side edges adapted to follow the contour of the bent arm of a wearer, and a transparent panel secured in said window, whereby said garment is adapted to afford a clear line of sight from above said collar piece through said window to the interior of said garment.

2. A garment adapted to be worn over a person's shoulders comprising a flexible substantially water repellent cape having left and right front portions and a back portion, said front portions being joined to said back portion by seams adapted to lie along the top of said persons shoulders, said front portions being adapted to be releasably secured together in a closed position along vertical adjacent edges thereof by a security flap secured to the left front portion and adapted to extend across and along said vertical adjacent edges, a collar piece on said cape and having strap means for securing together the ends thereof, said left front portion having a window therein, said window being defined in part by a vertical side edge substantially coincident with said vertical adjacent edges when in said closed position and by an upper edge extending horizontally from said side edge and passing immediately below said collar piece, said window extending transversely across said left front portion and being further defined by side edges adapted I to follow the contour of a bent arm of said person,

a transparent panel secured in said window, a first strap horizontally secured at the ends thereof to the inner side of said right front portion and adapted to permit-an arm of said person to pass therethrough, a second strap secured at one end to the inner side of said left front portion beneath said window and having a free end, said free end being provided with a loop adapted to pass an arm of said person, said garment adapted to afiord a clear line of sight from above said collar piece through said window to the interior of said garment.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file 'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fox Q. Sept. 20, 1904 Carpenter Mar. 2, 1909 5 Pelton Oct. 12, 1909 Q Sawyer June 11, 1912 Handler Feb. 13, 1923 Karow Feb. 6, 1951 Davidson et a1. Apr. 27, 1954 Gazelle Nov. 1. 1955 

